City approves water projects totaling $1.4M

The El Dorado City Commission approved three water line projects Monday evening which will extend and improve service in the city.

Comment

By Julie Clements

Butler County Times Gazette

By Julie Clements

Posted Oct. 4, 2012 at 3:00 PM

By Julie Clements
Posted Oct. 4, 2012 at 3:00 PM

El Dorado, Kan.

The El Dorado City Commission approved three water line projects Monday evening which will extend and improve service in the city.

The first project was to extend water to the new middle school. The cost of this project would be $1,177,554 and would be paid for by the city at large. It would be financed with general obligation bonds.

The project will loop the line to provide better water pressure and make the line ready to serve any future development in that area.

It was approved 4-0; Mayor Tom McKibban was absent.

The second project was for improvements at Boyer Road and Towanda Avenue.

“It is specifically for fire protection for residents of College Acres,” said Scott Rickard, assistant city engineer. “City crews are doing the instsallation of the line so that cost associated is for material and to contract out rock trenching.”

The cost was $136,408.48, which was approved 4-0.

The final water project was for waterline improvements in the 300 block of South Main.

This also would increase water pressure and volume in an area where they are seeing some development. The estimated cost is $88,373.04. It also was approved 4-0.

In other business, the commission heard an update on an ongoing water project on Star Street.

The city is putting in a two-inch water line to replace some lines.

“We should be wrapping up on that in a couple of weeks,” said Gary Taylor, water distribution superintendent. “We started pouring concrete earlier this week.”

He said the project, which they started on May 14, went smoothly, but they did have interruptions from water leaks. They had 41 water leaks in the city from May 14 until now and for each leak, they would have to take time away from this project to repair those since city crews are doing the work.

Many of those leaks were caused by the drought, which causes the ground to shrink and creates space for the pipes to move, causing breaks.

The work on Star will improve fire safety ratings, which should lower residents’ insurance rates.